Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— अथ स्वशक्त्या रममाण एवं स्वांशैः स्वभक्तैरपि सेव्यमानः। प्राकट्यकार्यं निखिलं विधाय रामोऽखिलाव्यक्तपदं जगाम॥१॥
Brahmā said: Thus sporting with his own power and served by his own expansions and devotees, Rāma completed the entire work of his manifestation and entered the wholly unmanifest station.
Passage 2
भुशुण्ड उवाच— कथमव्यक्ततां यातः प्रमोदवनचन्द्रमाः। एतन्मे ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ तस्य लीलान्तरं महत्॥२॥
Bhuśuṇḍa said: How did the moon of Pramoda Forest become unmanifest? Omniscient one, tell me of this and of the great further līlā that followed.
Passage 3
ब्रह्मोवाच— विधिना प्रेषितः कालः प्रार्थयामास यत्प्रभोः। तद्विधित्सुः स्वयं रामो लक्ष्मणं प्रत्युवाच ह॥३॥
Brahmā said: Sent by Brahmā, time petitioned the Lord. Intending to fulfill that request, Rāma himself addressed Lakṣmaṇa.
Passage 4
मयाऽऽज्ञतोऽसि सौमित्रे गच्छ त्वं सरयूवनम्। अनन्तरमहं चापि गन्तास्मि स्वपदं महत्॥४॥
“Saumitri, you are commanded by me: go to the Sarayū grove. After you, I too shall enter my own great station.”
Passage 5
लक्ष्मण उवाच— कीदृशं ते पदं दिव्यं यत्र त्वं नित्यविग्रहः। नित्यलीलाविनोदेन क्रीडस्यनिशमीश्वर॥५॥
Lakṣmaṇa said: What is that divine station of yours where, possessing an eternal form, you sport without cease in the delight of eternal līlā, Lord?
Passage 6
श्रीराम उवाच— एतदेव मम स्थानं यत्राहं नित्यविग्रहः। प्रमोदविपिनं नाम क्रीडास्थानमनुत्तमम्॥६॥
Śrī Rāma said: That very place is my abode, where I possess an eternal form. It is named Pramoda Forest, the unsurpassed ground of play.
Passage 7
अष्टचत्वारिंशदेव योजनान्यष्टकोणवत्। मध्ये प्रमुदनं यत्र सहजाया निकेतनम्॥७॥
It extends exactly forty-eight yojanas in an eight-sided form. At its center lies the joyous home of my innate beloved.
Passage 8
अशोककलिकावेशमगुञ्जद्भ्रमरमण्डितैः। भूरुहैर्विविधैर्भाति सौरभ्यकुसुमाकरम्॥८॥
It shines with many kinds of trees dressed in aśoka buds and adorned by humming circles of bees—a fragrant mine of blossoms.
Passage 9
सदा मञ्जरितैराम्रैरशोकैश्च समाकुलम्। कूजत्कोकिलसन्दोहकाकलीललितस्वनम्॥९॥
It is always filled with mango trees in bloom and aśokas, made graceful by the delicate notes of hosts of cooing cuckoos.
Passage 10
परितस्तस्य गोपानां मम लीलाविनोदिनाम्। स्थानानि सुबहून्येव साक्षाद्वै रत्नकुञ्जवत्॥१०॥
All around it stand very many dwelling places for the cowherds who delight in my līlā, each visibly like a jeweled bower.
Passage 11
धाम यत्सुखितेन्द्रस्य नन्दनस्य महात्मनः। माङ्गल्यकाराजिनीभ्यां शोभमानं मनोरमम्॥११॥
It is the delightful abode of blessed Nandana, lord of the happy ones, made beautiful by Māṅgalyakā and Rājinī.
Passage 12
तत्र रासविलासादिलीलालोलुपमानसः। अहं क्रीडामि सततं कामिनीकोटिमण्डले॥१२॥
There, my mind eager for rāsa-sports and other līlās, I sport forever amid a circle of millions of beloved women.
Passage 13
तन्मण्डलेश्वरी नित्या सहजानन्दिनी प्रिया। चिदानन्दमयी शक्तिः सर्वत्र सर्वरूपिणी॥१३॥
The eternal sovereign of that circle is my beloved Sahajānandinī, the power composed of consciousness and bliss, present everywhere in every form.
Passage 14
अत्रैवाव्यक्ततामेत्य स्थास्यामि सततं त्वहम्। धैर्यमालम्ब्य वर्तस्व तद्ध्यानज्ञानतत्परः॥१४॥
Here itself I shall become unmanifest and remain forever. Take courage and live intent upon meditation and knowledge of that abode.
Passage 15
न पुनर्मद्वियोगार्तिं भवान् यास्यति कुत्रचित्। सिद्धोऽसि कृतकृत्योऽसि मत्प्रसादेन लक्ष्मण॥१५॥
Never again will you suffer the pain of separation from me. Lakṣmaṇa, by my grace you are perfected and have accomplished all that must be done.
Passage 16
इत्युक्तः प्रभुणा सद्यो लक्ष्मणस्तच्चिकीर्षितम्। विद्वान् प्रणम्य तत्पादपद्मयोर्धीरमानसः॥१६॥
Thus addressed by the Lord, wise Lakṣmaṇa at once resolved to carry out his wish. With steady mind, he bowed at Rāma's lotus feet.
Passage 17
जगाम सरयूतीरं वहत्त्रिविधमारुतम्। आरामकुञ्जशोभाढ्यं हेमरत्नमयावनिम्॥१७॥
He went to the bank of the Sarayū, where three kinds of breeze flowed, pleasure groves and bowers abounded in beauty, and the ground was formed of gold and jewels.
Passage 18
तत्र गत्वा चिरं दध्यौ मायातीतं परं महः। स तन्महसि चाद्राक्षीदयोध्यां भुवनोत्तराम्॥१८॥
Arriving there, he meditated long upon the supreme radiance beyond Māyā. Within that splendor he beheld Ayodhyā, higher than every world.
Passage 19
वनोपवनशोभाढ्यां सरयूतीरभूमिगाम्। गोपलीलाराजलीलालीलाद्वयमनोरमाम्॥१९॥
Rich in the beauty of forests and gardens and standing upon the Sarayū's bank, it enchanted through the paired līlās of cowherd life and royal life.
Passage 20
अपश्यदुभयत्रापि राममानन्दविग्रहम्। सहजानन्दिनीसीताशक्तिद्वयविराजितम्॥२०॥
In both he saw Rāma, the embodiment of bliss, resplendent with the two powers Sahajānandinī and Sītā.
Passage 21
सेवितं प्रेममर्यादाभक्तिभ्यां च निरन्तरम्। सर्वलीलारसोपेतं सर्वैः परिकरैर्युतम्॥२१॥
He was served without interruption by love-devotion and reverential devotion, endowed with the rasa of every līlā and accompanied by his whole retinue.
Passage 22
स्वात्मादीन् पार्षदांश्चापि तत्रापश्यद्यथास्थितान्। तद्ध्यानपरमानन्दलहरीमग्नमानसः॥२२॥
There Lakṣmaṇa also saw himself and the other attendants, each in his proper place, while his mind sank into waves of supreme bliss born of that vision.